Thailand Open: Satwik and Chiraga’s title drought continues with latest upset
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s wait for a title continues as they suffered a straight-sets loss to Leo Rolly Carnand and Daniel Marthin in the Thailand Open 2026 final on Sunday, May 17. The Indian duo were defeated by scores of 12-21, 23-25 as the Indonesian pair completed their match against Bangkok.
THAILAND OPEN FINAL PRINCIPAL VALUES
Satwik and Chirag always looked to be catching up with Carnand and Marthin throughout the game as the Indonesian pair beat their Indian counterparts for the first time in five matches.
Satwik and Chirag’s wait for a title has now extended to two years and their last triumph came at the Thailand Open itself.
HOW THE MATCH HAPPENED
Both teams reached the final after contrasting semi-finals. Satwik and Chirag had to dig deep to secure a comeback victory against Malaysia’s Fei and Izzudin. On the other hand, Carnando and Marthin defeated He and Ren in straight games and that was the feature of their run in this tournament.
They are yet to lose a match in their run to the finals, an incredible feat considering Marthin has been out for almost a year and will end his association with Carnand as early as 2024. However, there appeared to be no communication issues between the Indonesian pair as they put early pressure on the top seeds with relentless smashes.
Marthin’s leap was the main weapon for the Indonesian stars on the day as Satwik and Chirag often struggled to defend. The Indonesian pair took a 4-1 lead, forcing a change of plans from Sat-Chi as they looked to mount a comeback. And for a short time it was like that.
The Indian pair managed to increase to 4:5. But the main problem for Satwik and Chirag was that they were not able to sustain the momentum at any point in the first game. That allowed Carnando and Marthin to take advantage with a four-point cushion at 11-7.
Once the break was over, it was all one-way traffic as the smashing power of the Indonesian team seemed too much for the former world number one pair. Marthin and Carnando just cruised and secured an easy win in the first game.
In the second game, Sat-Chi entered with more vigor and a shift in their energy was noticeable. But it was Marthin and Carnando who raced to a 5-2 lead and put the Indian pair back on the back foot again.
Adversity has always brought out the best in Satwik and Chirag in the past and we saw that during Saturday’s semi-final.
Here they put together a five-point run that gave them their first lead of the game at 7-5. It was then a see-saw battle as Marthin and Carnando kept making sure Sat-Chi never got away from them, forcing mistakes at key points.
But Satwik and Chirag fought back to take an 11-9 lead at the break. However, it was the Indonesian pair who came out with better energy after the break and regained the lead. This started a small phase where both teams traded leads and the score was close at 14-14.
Satwik and Chirag could have taken a two-point lead but it didn’t last long as Marthin kept the smashes coming while Carnando worked smartly at the net.
The Indonesian pair certainly secured their first championship point in the competition. Satwik and Chirag’s battle continued, but much like their game on Sunday, it was full of simple mistakes. There was a moment when Satwik let the advantage slip as he fumbled his serve.
They managed to salvage four championship points, but in the end the sheer power of Marthino’s smashes and Carnand’s smarts proved too much on the day.
Satwik-Chirag will be next in action during the Singapore Open from May 26-31
– The end
Published on:
May 17, 2026 1:22 PM IST